Is Diy auto repair right for you? In my opinion you don’t have to be a certified master technician to do car repairs at home, but please take some free advice from one before you tackle automotive repairs on your own.
My name is Mark and If you want to skip the reasons for doing it yourself, the technical support articles are towards the bottom of this page. There’s around twenty different topics covered and growing all the time.
Site visitors submitted the subject material through social interaction on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and my YouTube channel.
Since they discuss many common car problems you might be able to find one addressing your issue and walk away with some helpful information. I’ve also partnered with the just answer car questions website to provide professional solutions to specific automotive problems.
This site has tested expert mechanics divided into specialized areas. If your question pertains to a Dodge vehicle you get routed to a Dodge dealership level technician.
These factory trained mechanics will know more about your vehicle and this makes them ready to solve your car problem quickly. Most questions get a response in 15 minutes thanks to a notification system.
However, response time depends on when the question is posted. You don’t have to pay for an answer unless you’re satisfied. Even then it’s on a voluntary basis and how much is up to you.
When people rate an answer they take into account how much time the mechanic spent providing a complete resolution to the car issue. The individual mechanics are rewarded for being courteous and knowledgeable with a positive feedback system.
Why Consider Do it yourself Auto Repair
If you get good at doing your own auto repairs you could save a lot of money and gain a new skill set you can be proud of. You’ll also sidestep paying high labor charges. Labor rates in the north east are out of control. In many cases they run over $100 an hour.
Another bonus is the parts you purchase locally won’t carry a mark-up. Cost plus 30 percent is an industry standard, but it’s often higher. Now if you shop for the best deal on parts you reap the rewards, not the service center. The money you save on each and every job could add up to incredibly large yearly savings for you and your family.
Another compelling reason for do-it-yourself auto repair is you care about your car and will treat it with respect. You’re more likely to do a quality repair than a stranger at the local shop.
I’m not saying car mechanics are bad people or they’re trying to rip you off, but they are trying to make money. They might rush to complete the task as fast as possible. This can cause a multitude of problems. As an example, how many times have you taken a car into the shop and had to return for the same complaint two or three times? DIY auto repair can reduce repeat repairs.
Doing it Yourself Means No Up Selling
Another good reason for at home repairs is you will not sell yourself extra work like a fuel injection service. Sometimes auto repair shops offer services not recommended by the manufacturer, because the shop is slow. The auto mechanic is in the business to make money.
Then there’s the premature service. This is when they recommend stuff that could be done, but not required at the time.
When working on your own car you will not sell yourself a power steering flush, a climate control service and a brake system flush if it’s not needed. I don’t think you’ll charge yourself cost plus 30% for supplies and disposal fees.
These kinds of charges sometimes get out of control. I wrote an article on my auto repair information blog that sparked some debate. Several shop employees had a few interesting points.
Stop by the blog and tell me what you think about shop supplies and waste disposal charges. Another thing you avoid with Diy, is the mechanic breaking stuff and claiming these parts were already broken.
This is another profit center for the shop. The potential to avoid overcharges for Diy’ers is real. Yes there are times when a job will raise questions and you’ll need help. That’s what this page is for. Make sure to bookmark or share this page with a friend. Come back and explore all the articles and have mechanics answer your questions.
DIY Car Repair Articles
Make sure you reap the rewards that Diy repair offers. Start off on the right foot with proper procedures for troubleshooting car problems.
On high mileage vehicles there are two simple tests that should be performed before you start dumping money in it. This gives you a clear picture of your engines current health and condition. Let me show you the basics of automobile engine diagnosis.
Doing it yourself just got easier and less expensive at the same time. See my video tour of PDF downloadable auto repair online manuals.
This article tells you about EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) both past and present day. If you understand these basic principles, diagnosis becomes much easier. Learn about electronic fuel injection systems.
Proper bolt torque is a very important and often over looked. Don’t cheat yourself out of successful at home. A quick article for you on why you should take the time to properly torque bolts.
I’ve used many different auto parts online services. I have never had a problem with this place. A short article on how I found them and the place I recommend for online auto parts.
I have received a lot of questions about the problems with the quad 4 engine. This page is a great resource to learn about common problems associated with the diagnosis of the Quad 4 engine misfire.
Car care articles from your friend in the automobile service business. Addressing car repair for college students, new drivers and preparing your vehicle for reliability. This is a basic article about car care.
Electrical diagnosis can be tricky. Repair diagrams themselves can cause a headache. Learn about automobile wiring and common symbols on my article taking you inside automotive wiring diagrams.
This next question is climbing the list of my most often asked. Learn how to release and repair a shifter that is stuck in park. Read the E-mail and find the answer to this common car repair question.
Try making things easier on yourself by properly preparing for DIY auto repair success. You might be surprised at some of things people forget before taking a car apart?
My e-mail is full of questions about fixing cars properly. Get started on the right foot with my 3 favorite online auto repair tips.
Using auto repair diagrams does take some practice. Here I offer my 2 golden rules when using troubleshooting manuals.
Everybody I know including me has had a no start condition from a dead battery. Here’s my opinion on handling a dead car battery problem.
Related to the last page is this next one about choosing a replacement battery. See the two most important things to check. Also review how a slow discharging condition can cause car battery problems.
Some model cars provide large challenges when it comes to replacing the water pump. Learn about common issues when replacement of the water pump is necessary as well as other problems with cars.
Repairing a cars air conditioning may have to be performed by a shop. When your AC is not blowing as cold as it use to, do some auto air conditioning diagnosis before drop off so you know what to expect.
Lots of people provide advice for changing your oil. I have created a different twist on the subject and provide 3 unique DIY oil change tips.
The easiest way to have success at fixing your own car is with the best do it yourself online auto service manuals.
Stalling is not as common as it use to be. However, it still happens. I provided 2 separate articles on one page about common car problems as related to low idle problems and engine stalling.